Police arrest guard as family suspects foul play in woman’s death

The Lagos Command of the Nigerian Police Force has arrested a 50-year-old security officer, Emmanuel Anunobi, over the death of his wife of 16 years.

Anunobi, who is currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Lagos, was accused by the family of his wife of having a hand in the death of the woman, while alleging that the security officer had several times physically assaulted the deceased before her death.

The family of the late teacher alleged in their petition to the police about their daughter that the woman could have died over the constant assault by the husband.

A police source told CRIME DIGEST that the family of the woman suspected a foul play in the woman’s death as they believed that their daughter did not die of natural causes. “The family wrote a petition against him (Anunobi) that he was responsible for the death of his wife. They said he beat her up frequently and that must have been the cause of the death of their daughter,” the source said.

The source, who craved anonymity, stated that the suspect used to collect money from his wife, which he would spend to satisfy himself. “He was said to have collected the money that they sent to the wife and squandered it. The brother of the deceased stated that recently, his late sister asked for money. He gave her and is sure the husband took it from her and squandered it. The family said that shows he is irresponsible,” he said.

Anunobi, a security officer with an insurance firm, in an interview with CRIME DIGEST, denied that he was a wife beater, saying his wife died as a result of fibroid, a health challenge he said the couple had been battling for over 16 years. “I did not beat my wife. She died of fibroid; we have been treating this sickness for a very long time. My wife died at the General Hospital, Lagos Island. I informed my in-laws the same day she died, but her brother did not believe because she died two days after an illness,” he said.

He expressed surprise that he could find himself in his current travails. “My in-laws had a son who was also Emmanuel; he is dead now. They see me as their son, they refer to me as Emma, not the usual my in-law. I’m so surprised that I’m here as they were aware of my wife’s illness. They were even the ones that sponsored her operation in 2000,” he said.

The suspect however told CRIME DIGEST that there was no basis for him to have nurtured such an intention against his wife.

“We both travelled to the village for the festive season. When we came back, we really did not have any money to feed ourselves; so, my wife told me she was going to ask her brother (for money). She did and he sent her N50,000. She died before she was even able to collect the money. The money is still in her Diamond Bank account. Why would I want to kill my wife? It is this fibroid that did not allow us to have a child. I’m 50 years old without a child; now I have lost my wife, and I’m being accused of killing her,” he said sadly.

Anunobi expressed surprise at the attitude of his in-laws, saying he did not have any problem with his late wife’s family before now. “I wonder why he (one of the in-laws) is doing this. We don’t have a quarrel. He is a pastor, when he was studying law; I even asked him if he could combine his calling with law and he said yes. We get along well; this is all so strange to me. I sponsored my wife to school, she was a teacher,” he said.

may be the pastor saw a vission to that effect, that he killed his sister, but that is not supported by any law anyway , he really have to proove his involvement , and inocent must not be made to suffer for the crime nommitedot c

may be the pastor saw a vission to that effect, that he killed his sister, but that is not supported by any law anyway , he really have to proove his involvement , and inocent must not be made to suffer for the crime nommitedot c